After a Doordarshan (DD) cameraperson and two policemen were killed in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada on Tuesday, the Editors Guild of India “urged the law enforcement agencies in the state to provide necessary security and protection to the media professionals particularly when they are on election coverage duty.”
DD News Cameraman Achyutanand Sahu, sub inspector Rudra Pratap Singh and assistant constable Mangalu were killed in a maoist attack in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh.
The guild further said that creating a safe environment for media professionals to discharge their duties will be critical for ensuring freedom of the press.
“The Editors Guild of India is saddened to learn of the death of a camera person of Doordarshan and two policemen after they were attacked by Maoist insurgents in the Dantewada district of poll-bound Chhattisgarh. The Guild offers its condolences to the families of the deceased and urges the law enforcement agencies in the state to provide necessary security and protection to the media professionals particularly when they are on election coverage duty. Creating a safe environment for media professionals to discharge their duties will be critical for ensuring freedom of the press,” read the statement issued by the Editors Guild of India on the Dantewada Naxal attack.
Editors Guild of India has issued a statement on the Dantewada Naxal attack that killed a Doordarshan camera person. You may also read the full statement here – https://t.co/xrPM0vb2jK pic.twitter.com/hXokcir85j
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) October 30, 2018
The incident took place at around 11 am in a forest area near Nilawaya village when a group of Maoists ambushed a local police squad which was carrying out patrolling.
The team of Doordarshan was there around at the same time for election-related news coverage and got caught in the cross-firing.